Launching of ships boats



'W. E. MOSS. I L'AUNCHING 0F SHIPS BOAIS.

APPLICATIONJIILED my :2. I919.

Patented M20, 1 19.

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LAUNCI-IING OF SHIPS BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1 919.

Application filed lebruary 12, 1919. Serial No. 276,493.

jamming in thepulleys or one operator payingout faster than the other,that one end of the'boat is .held upxwhile the other end continues tofall, the boat then taking a dangerous inclination and the occupantsbeing-'ifirequen-tly thrown into the sea. The object vof the presentinvention isto provlde means,iwherebyithe boat can only be lowered fromthe falls onacomparatively even keel, even though theybe independentlyoperated,

any inclination of the boatbeyond somepredetermined angular limitcausing a brake .to come intosactionon the falls at that end of :theboatwhich is being lowered relatively faster than the other end, the brakeautov matically releasing. itself when the boat comes again to aneven'keel,

According .to this invention the lower pulley blocks of a ships boatlaunching sys tem are provided with a brake mechanism such that thebrake operates on the fall ropes :or .the-.pulleys,.at that end of theboat which -is=descending lower, by the pivotal action of the -boataboutits point of suspension from the pulleywblock. This may be effected forainstance by aweighted brake mechanism which would be free of the fallswhile the boat was horizontal or substantially so but would be operatedby an inclination of :the :boat, or by providing the lower block with .abrake mechanism which is thusadapted to bebrought into action by theengagement of an element carried from the boat at a point beyond thepoint teas suspension from the lower pulley b-lock, both lowerpulley'blocks of the falls being similarly fitted. With such anarrangement should oneend of the boat in launching fall belowtheothersome predetermined distance, i-the element carried from the then lowerend of the boat would actuate its-brake -mechanism and prevent anyfurther lowering of that end, thebrake being, however, released by thereverse pivotal action of the boat about its point of susblocks of thefalls ofa ships boat launching gear, the brakes being in. theoff orinopera tlve .pOSltlOIl, Fig. being a fragmentary view of one end :ofthe boat showing the brake mechanism in action.

In carrying out the invention the brake mechanismconsists of one or moreshoes 1 pivotally connected at.2 to one end of a lever .3 which isitself pivoted at ion the lower pulley block 5 'Theother tail end 6 ofthe lever 3 is adapted to be engaged and operated by the eye 7 of a rod"8 or other element rigidly carried vfrom the-boat9 at a point outsideor nearer the end 10 of the boat than the point of suspension 11 of theboat'from: thelower block, this point of suspension being the lower partof the usual ring 12 on the lower block- 5, andengaged by thehooks13ofathe boat 9. The tails 6 of the brake; levers are relatively reversedas shown and extend toward the endsof the boat in each case, and theelements 8 carried trom the .boat which putthe; brake mechanisminoperation embrace the free ends 6 of the levers. :The brake leverinits normal inoperative position being horizontal and parallel .to theboat, supposing one end ofthe boatto belowered faster-than, andto fall[relatively to, theother end, a pivotal action of the "boat about itspoint of 1 suspension :11 at the higher say the left hand end takesplace, but there is also a co rrespondingpivotal action about the otherright hand point of suspension 11 atthelower end, and thisresults in thepart of the boat beyond such lower. point of suspension inclining stilllower than the point of susp en-' sion at thatend. Consequently theeyeelement 7J01wthelike carried. on the outer end of the boat and engaging.the lower 6 is depressed relatively to-the .lever .-and=;.by engagingtherewith rotates the lever and forces the-ibrake shoes. -1 into contactwith ithe rope falls214, .as :shown dottedxFig; :1. or in full linesFig. 2. where they encircle the lower half of -the pulleys-15,-'and-thusarrests iu-rther travel of such ropes. The falls at thelower end of the boat are thus braked, and effectively prevent anyfurther lowering of that end until the boat is righted to a horizontalor approximately horizontal position, the brake mechanism then becomingfree again, owing to the reversed pivotal action of the boat about thispoint of suspension 11. Similarly, if the other or left hand end of theboat falls below the level or some limiting angle, the brake mechanismon that side comes into action.

The tails (S of the brake levers are shown turned up at 6, thisconstruction insuring that the brake shall be brought into action, muchsooner than if the tails of the levers were straight; and if it bedesired that the brake action shall not be so sensitive, that is to say,that the boat shall be permitted to dip at either end to a greater angleof inclination say 10 degrees, or more from the horizontal before thebrake comes into action, the ends 6 of the lever would not be turned upso sharply as shown in the drawings, or they might even be madestraight.

If desired additional means may be provided for actuating the brakemechanism by hand, and by adjusting or shaping the engaging surfaces ofthe lever tail 6* and the eye element 7 carried from the boat, theaction of the brake may be arranged to take place when the angularinclination of the boat from the horizontal has reached anypredetermined amount.

Where the lower blocks of the boat falls.

are connected by a bar or the like for the purpose of preventingtwisting of the falls, the brake mechanism may be arranged to beactuated from, and by tilting of, the connecting bar or the like.

I claim.

1. A brake mechanism for controllin the launching of a ships boat on aneven heel, comprising, fall ropes, a pulley around which the fall ropespass, a brake mechanism adapted to retard the passage of the ropesaround the pulley, and means for controlling the brake mechanismoperated by the pivotal action of the boat when inclining about itspoint of suspension from the fall ropes.

2. A brake mechanism for controlling the launching of a ships boat on aneven keel, comprising, fall ropes, a pulley around which the fall ropespass, a brake mechanism adapted to engage the fall ropes where they passaround the pulley, and means for controlling the brake mechanismoperated by the pivotal action of the boat when inclining about itspoint of suspension from the fall ropes.

3. A brake mechanism for controlling the launching of a ships boat on aneven keel,

comprising, fall ropes at each end of the boat, upper and lower pulleyblocks around which the fall ropes pass, a separate brake mechanism forthe falls at each end of the boat, and means for controlling the brakemechanism operated by the pivotal action or" the boat when incliningabout its point of suspension from the fall ropes.

at. A brake mechanism for controlling the launching of a ships boat onan even keel, comprising, fall ropes at each end of the boat, upper andlower pulley blocks around which the fall ropes pass, a separate brakemechanism engaging the falls where they pass around each of the lowerpulley blocks, and means for controlling the brake mechanism operated bythe pivotal action of the boat when inclining about its point ofsuspension from the fall ropes.

5. A brake mechanism for controlling the launching of a ships boat on aneven keel, comprising, fall ropes at each end of the boat, upper andlower pulley blocks around which the fall ropes pass, brake leverspivoted on each lower pulley block, brake shoes carried by the leversand engaging the fall ropes passing around the pulleys, elements carriedfrom the boat at points nearer its ends than the points of suspension ofthe boat from the lower pulley blocks, said elements engaging thelevers, whereby when one end of the boat is descending lower than theother the brake lever at that end is actuated by the pivotal movement ofthe boat about its point of suspension from the lower pulley blocks.

6. A brake mechanism for controlling the launching of a ships boat on aneven keel, comprising, fall ropes at each end of the boat, upper andlower pulley blocks around which the fall ropes pass, brake leverspivoted on each lower pulley block, turned :up ends on the levers, brakeshoes carried by the levers and engaging the fall ropes passing aroundthe pulleys, elements carried from the bolt at points nearer its endsthan the points of suspension of the boat from the lower pulley blocks,said elements engaging the turned up ends of the levers, whereby whenone end of the boat is descending lower than the other the brake leverat that end is actuated by the pivotal movement of the boat about itspoint of sus pension from the lower pulley blocks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM EDWARD MOSS.

Witnesses:

A. J. DAVIES, E. HEGINBOTHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

